Page 12 - KMA Ag Mag 2020

KMAland 2020
12 Overcoming Current Challenges in the Ag Community

In tough times, focus on soil health

“below-ground” livestock: the or- bacteria:fungi populations. My-
ganisms in the soil. But, the ben- corrhizal fungi form a symbiotic
efits of grazing livestock such as relationship with nearly every
cattle should not be overlooked. plant on earth. This beneficial
Manure is a microbe-rich source relationship helps get nutrients
of natural fertilizer that grazing
animals will spread throughout
the field, and the saliva produced
by grazing animals helps to in-
crease soil organisms’ popula-
tions and activity.
These soil health principles
are based on nature and natu-
ral, not man-made, ecosystems.
Think about the native prairies
of Iowa, the plants that grow in
By Shannon Moeller, CCA road ditches, segments of forests Growing roots help soil take in more water,
H and timbers along a river, the and the top growth of cereal rye helps keep

weeds away. Photo by: Shannon Moeller
How is your soil func-
grass waterways and terraces in
tioning? This should be the
number one concern on every row-crop fields. These ecosys- into plants, and the fungi pro-
tems are generally thriving – in
farmer’s mind. Soil is not just draught years and even in wet duce glomalin, which helps hold
a growing medium for crops. years. You don’t see nutrient de- soil together. Glomalin is one
Soil is a dynamic ecosystem – ficiencies in natural ecosystems. of the most stable components
the most fundamental ecosys- You see a diverse mix of plants of soil organic matter, and what
tem on earth. and shrubs, various types of trees, gives soil organic matter (SOM)
There are a few generally- and lots of different types of ani- its dark color.
accepted “soil health” princi- mals. Even more plentiful will be While not always the “easi-
ples and practices. These are: the organisms underneath. est” thing to do, incorporating
disturbing the soil less, use Natural ecosystems are re- cover crops into our current
plant diversity to help diversi- silient. We should be striving to corn-soybean rotations in Iowa
fy soil organisms, keep the soil make our farms more resilient. is going to be one of the quickest
covered & keep a living root First and foremost, let’s work on ways to help make our soils more
in the ground year-round, and getting our soils balanced. Fungi resilient. Cover crops work on
incorporate above-ground are important and our current almost all of the soil health prin-
livestock. Note: I specified cropping systems are gener- ciples – keeping a living root in
“above-ground” livestock ally causing soils to, over time, the ground year-round, keeping
because I believe first and become very bacteria-heavy, the soil covered, adding plant di-
foremost, farmers should be rather than having balanced versity. In a normal year, a cereal
concerned with feeding their